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Tung oil or China wood oil is a drying oil obtained by pressing the seed from the nut of the tung tree. The oil and its use are believed to have originated in ancient China and appear in the writings of Confucius from about 400 BC.
Tung oil hardens upon exposure to air , and the resulting coating is transparent and has a deep, almost wet look. Used mostly for finishing and protecting wood, after numerous coats, the finish can even look plastic-like. Related drying oils include linseed, safflower, poppy, and soybean oils. Raw tung oil tends to dry to a fine, wrinkled finish ; this property was used to make wrinkle finishes, usually by adding excess cobalt drier. To prevent wrinkling, the oil is heated to gas-proof it.
'Tung oil' is often used by paint and varnish manufacturers as a generic name for any wood-finishing product that contains the real tung oil or provides a finish that resembles the finish obtained with tung oil.